This invention relates generally to a retainer system for vending machine compartments and in particular to a divider assembly which includes a pull-out member that is stored in a retracted position when the compartment is being loaded and may be pulled out to an extended position to engage a bottle cap to prevent forward migration of the bottles when the compartment is loaded.
When vending machines of the type under consideration were first introduced, they were intended primarily to vend soft drink products in 12 ounce cans. Such cans have a very stable geometry and rarely created a vend reliability problem.
With the advent of larger size plastic containers into the marketplace, for example, 20 ounce plastic bottles, problems were presented which were not encountered with metal cans. Originally the bottles were vended in double depth columns, one in the front and one in the rear. This presented a problem of providing a retaining system which was adjustable to permit conversion from cans to bottles and this problem was solved by providing a retainer system which was engageable with the ends of the cans and also with the necks of the bottles as disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,207.
However, with the advent of triple depths columns additional problems were presented because of the increased depth of reach required for loading.
This problem is solved herein in a manner not revealed by the known prior art.
This vending machine storage compartment retainer system facilitates the use of triple depth columns by providing a divider between the first and second columns which include a pull-out member which is retractable during loading and is extendable to engage the bottle cap and preclude forward migration of the bottle containers after the container is loaded.
This retainer system for a vending machine storage compartment comprises a compartment wall; an elongate retainer including: a first member attached to the wall and having a portion outstanding from the wall; a second member and means for attaching the second member to the first member outstanding portion for movement from a first, retracted position to a second outwardly extended position adapted to engage and intercept a container cap.
It is an aspect of this invention to provide that the attachment means includes a cutout provided by one of said members and a tab provided by the other of said members and received by the cutout of said one member, said tab being configurated to engagingly connect said first and second members in said first and second positions.
It is another aspect of this invention to provide that said first member includes a slot cutout having a first portion, a second transverse portion disposed below said first portion and a third portion disposed below said second portion and offset from said first portion, said first and third portions communicating with said second portion; and to provide that said second member includes a tab having a forward portion and a rearward portion smaller than said forward portion whereby said tab is received by said first cutout portion, movable downwardly into engagement with said first member in said retracted position, and movable transversely in said second cutout portion maintaining engagement with said first member into said extended position.
It is still another aspect of this invention to provide that said tab forward portion extends above and below said rearward portion.
It is yet another aspect of this invention to provide that said attachment means between the first and second members is provided at two locations in spaced vertical relation.
It is another aspect of this invention to provide a retainer system for a triple depth vending machine storage compartment, the system comprising opposed compartment walls defining forward, intermediate and rear columns the forward and intermediate columns being adapted to store forwardly arranged bottles; opposed divider assemblies between the forward, and intermediate columns each assembly including: a base member attached to a compartment wall and having portion outstanding from the wall including a slot, and a cap stop member including a hook receivable by the slot in movable relation for movement of the cap stop member from a retracted position to an extended position in which the cap stop member is engageable by the cap of a bottle in the intermediate column.
This retainer system is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple to install and operate and is very effective for its intended purpose.